


Worlds Collide

by Magyka13, Maplestrazsa



Series: Many Splendid Drabbles [8]
Category: Occulttale, Undertale
Genre: Chipping, Guilt, Injury, Magic, Other, Post Genocide, Soulmates, Suicide, mentioned genocidal human, timeline jumping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 09:43:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11415276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magyka13/pseuds/Magyka13, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maplestrazsa/pseuds/Maplestrazsa
Summary: I rp as my own Sans, Runix from Occulttale while they rp using Undertale Papyrus and SansReferences for Runix:(( http://raven-black09.deviantart.com/art/Occulttale-Sans-634899028 ))(( http://raven-black09.deviantart.com/art/Runix-Rune-Occult-Sans-666057599 ))





	Worlds Collide

Runix sighed as he leaned against the Yule tree in the middle of Snowdin. The air of the underground a sharp cold against his scarred bones from his open black furred jacket. ITS OK SANS. I MAY NOT KNOW WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS, BUT IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY, I AM OKAY WITH DYING BY YOUR HAND. I LOVE YOU SANS. His Papyrus’ last words from the last few resets by that things hand ring in his skull as Runix began to absentmindedly chip at the bones of his tibula. Marrow began to trickle as the scratching of his bones became more frantic, his phalanges digging into the bone. “I deserve this. After all who kills their own child?” Runix thought aloud, feeling a weight on his soul at his own son never knowing who their parents truly were. “I should have at least told him who I truly was to him. That I’m not his brother, I’m his mother.” Runix mutters as he stops chipping at his arm to summon the Grimoir holding all his knowledge and spells, the six human souls attached to it pulsing as if to comfort the distraught skeleton. Reaching inside the actual pages Runix pulls out a knife, porting to his room. Continuing where he left off with his phalanges, he begins slicing every available bone on his arm and moving to his ribs. Marrow pools under his prone form as he begins to disassociate from the pain, vision blackening as he loses consciousness.

The underground had just reset again, Sans finding himself at his post near the Ruins door once again. Sighing softly he gets up and trudges over to the ruins, not wanting to do the usual song and dance with the Kid but it was better then going off script and jepordizing a potential pacifist run. Approaching the door he could see a lump in the snow, just in front of the large stone structure. the door hadnt opened yet, so it couldnt be the human. Curiously, since this was somehting new from the usual reset, he got close. The snow was stained a light pink, too light to be red blood. The black jacket hid the figure and he curiously raised the hood. He had not been expecting his own face, of the damage along the arms and ribs. It looked deliberate. "Oh no..." A quick port had him and the ingured skeleton in his living room, the injured on the couch, surprising his brother who was still cleaning up from breakfast. "SANS?! YOU ARE SUPPOESED TO BE AT WORK! OH, WHO'S THIS?" Papyrus looked curiously at the unconcious skeleton. Sans sighed softly. "He's hurt pretty bad Paps, think you can heal him?" Papyrus puffed up, hands on hips. "OF COURSE BROTHER! I HAVE PLENTY OF PRACTICE FROM TRAINING NYEH!" The tall skeleton stooped over the figure, curious but focused on the injuries dripping marrow. A green glow covered the bones, stopping the flow. Questions could come after helping the mysterious stranger.

Runix stirred in his 'sleep', unconsciously accepting the healing magic that felt so similar to his own Papyrus'. He could hear someone speaking sounding similar to himself and someone sounding like Papyrus answering before unconsciousness blanketed his hearing once again.

While Papyrus healed the injured skeleton, Sans took the time to look over his double. Other then their shared body type and skull structure they were very different. This was good, since he could play it off to Papyrus that he was a long lost relative then his double. The markings over the skull, especially the symbol on the forehead was worrisome. The scars were even more so, since the mangled bones spoke of a very hard life. Definately at least a genocide survivor or maybe even a LV world. Sans hoped he could talk to the skeleton before Papyrus could and gague his threat level before he could interact with his sweet, innocent, brother.

Runix groaned softly as the healing magic knitted together his bones, the healing leaving a tingling sensation of Papyrus' magic. Waking up slightly he can make out the silouettes of two beings leaning over him. One looked to be just a bit taller than himself while the other was tall, about as tall as his own Papyrus was. But his child was dead, along with everyone else in his home so who were these two. Mind reeling from the magic being pumped into him and the realization that he might not be in his own empty universe anymore, Runix panicked. Flailing weekly in the taller skeletons grasp, he managed to fling himself off of whatever surface they had placed him on to heal him. Vision blurry and wavering as his partially healed injuries quickly caught up with him, Runix tried to gather the magic to port away blindly.

Papyrus startled when his patient suddenly started struggling and flung himself off the couch. "CAREFUL STRANGER! I HAVENT FINISHED HEALING YOU YET!" The tall skeleton reached down, ready to scoop up the small being and place him back on the couch. HIs hands had just touched the rib cage when Both of the brothers could feel the gathering magic. Sans' eye sockets wided, reaching for the pair. He had done a quick Check when the monster fell, his first instinct reacting to the 16 LV the monster had. "Paps, Wait!"

Runix froze at hearing the familiar nickname, stunned enough for his magic to stop gathering to port. Waves of dizziness and nausea racked his frame, shaking heavily as he struggled to keep standing. Papyrus was here? No it couldn't be his Papyrus, which means the other voice has to be another Sans. Suddenly remembering his lv, Runix tried backing away from the pair the best that he could with how difficult it was becoming to move. Stumbling forward, Runix managed to drop to his knees before magic forced it's way out of his fanged mouth. Coughing and hacking, he tried to get back up only to find himself unable to move his legs or arms any. Looking up to see a very different looking Papyrus and Sans, Runix manages to mutter apologies before succumbing to his reopened injuries losing consciousness once more.

Papyrus flinched at Sans' yell, unused to hearing such frantic panic in his brothers voice. He unintentionally let the small skeleton go, enabling the injured monster to scramble and try to flee which reopned his wounds. The pair watched in horror as the cut woulds reopened, causing the small skeleton to spit up magic at the pain. The paniced flailing ended with the monster unconcious once more, marrow staining the floor under him. papyrus whined and gently picked up the smal skeleton, placing him on the couch and starting his healing again. Sans places a hand on his brothers arm, stopping him a moment. "Paps... His LV is 16.." The smaller brother was wary of this newcomer, unsure of just how the small skeleton had gained so much LV before coming here. Papyrus frowned but kept healing. "IT DOES NOT MATTER BROTHER. HE IS INJURED AND POSSIBLY FATALLY. i CANNOT ALLOW THIS INJURED SKELETON TO DUST ON OUR COUCH."

Runix wakes once again to other Papyrus healing his wounds once again, the Sans hovering worriedly in the background. Grasping the wrist of the one healing him weakly with a shaking hand, Runix opens his jaw to speak. "P-please......don't.........waste your.......magic on me.......I don't.......deserve.......your mercy......" Runix manages, having to pause several times to take ragged pained breaths. The phrase I already failed my own son enough never being said. No doubt that the other Sans noticed his lv already so there was no point in healing him if they were just gonna judge him anyway. They would never know that Runix never wanted those lv, the choice was taken from him when he failed to try to stop the resets so his child could be happy. Blue tears began to pool at the edges of his eye sockets, looking purple as they dripped over the red glowing marks on the corner of his sockets.

Papyrus looked down in concern at the crying Skeleton, reaching up and gently wiping away the blue tears. It was very close to Sans' magic color. "SSHH. IT IS ALRIGHT. YOU ARE SAFE HERE. PLEASE, JUST RELAX." Papyrus smiled reassuringly, working diligently on the wounds. The skeleton was out of the danger zone but he could easily reopen them in Papyrus didn't heal them enough. Sans watched anxiously, able to see the sheer grief and regret on the small skeleton's face. Despite the LV, which he himself couldnt gain, the skeleton seemed relatively sane so far. They couldnt know for sure if he was a threat until the stranger was in a more stable condition. "We can chat once your not dusting on our living room floor, Bud."

"You should just dust me anyway" Runix mumbled, tending as Papyrus wiped his tears. "I'm nothing but a failure anyway what's the point?" He questioned, tears spilling down his skull and staining the bone a light blue. Runix absentmindedly fidgeted under Papyrus' healing magic, looking tense and a bit sickly but otherwise not moving. "I should get back to the solitude I deserve. Sorry for wasting your magic, pal." Runix comments offhandedly, trying to wave off the phalanges healing his extensive wounds to no avail. Sighing, Runix gives up and allows Papyrus to heal him, staring off into space with a thousand-yard look.  
It was then that two white fluffy tails curled themselves from Runix' waist, flicking slightly in response to his negative emotions.  
It looked to be similar to a fox' tail, long and bushy.  
Magic that seemed to be placed on Runix' skull shimmered as it dissipated revealing matching fox-like ears  
that twitched slightly every few seconds.

Papyrus frowned at the negative sentiments, wiping the tears even though it was futile. "DO NOT SPEAK LIKE THAT. EVERY LIFE IS PRECIOUS. THERE ARE JUST TOO FEW OF US." Sans had to admire his brother, with a strange monster who had high LV, was breaking down and obviously in deep grief and guilt, Papyrus was handling it very well. Sans wasn't sure he could do the same. The pair were quiet until he fluffy appendages made an appearance. There was definitely no way Papyrus could mistake this double for Sans. The tall skeleton looked curiously at the fluffy ears, reaching up and lightly rubbing one. "WOWIE! IT'S SO SOFT!"

"Nnnnnnn p-please stahstop tha-that." Runix strained out, a slight purr deepening his voice as Papyrus unknowingly rubbed the most sensitive spots on his furred ears. A slight blush had appeared on his skull from there attention, a powdery deep blue that looked slightly more purple over the red on the corner of his eye sockets. His tails started to swish faster at his increased distress, lightly smacking the other Sans accidentally in its flailing. It didn't take long for this Papyrus to get the hint and stop rubbing those certain areas moving to less sensitive ones. Not long after a low purr emitted from Runix unintentionally, the injured skeleton blushing a deep powdery blue borderline blue-violet in spots in embarrassment at his own noises. Runix was sure he would dust of embarrassment if this Papyrus discovered the spot on his tails for sure.

Papyrus almost jumped at the reaction, shifting his hand to be less intrusive. He knew the dogs liked pets and found it soothing, so he continued the soft rubbing while finishing the healing. "SORRY NEW FRIEND! I PROMISE TO BE MORE CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE." Sans sighed at his brother, swatting at the wagging tails to get it away from him, a little exasperated but fond. Papyrus had already claimed the lost soul, so there wasn't much Sans could do now.

"Heh, um at least let me pay you for using up valuable healing magic on me." Runix suggested, gathering his magic to summon his Grimoir book that held the six human souls and his inventory. As he goes to summon it, a jolt of pain erupts in his soul at his magic use causing him to double almost completely over. "I'll just get my-ack" Runix cuts off as the pain leaves him breathless, soul pulsing in its dual red and blue colors just beneath his rib cage as he panicked. His tails flared, fluffing out as it straightened in his panic at the sudden pain in his soul and his ears stood straight up as he started to tremble lightly all sense of relaxation gone from the scarred frame.

Papyrus was about to object, no one really paid for healing since most monsters new minor green magic, when the small skeleton almost doubled over in pain. "OH NO! PLEASE, STOP WHATEVER YOU ARE TRYING TO DO!" Papyrus was frantic, green coated hands scanning for any wound he had missed. He thought most of the damaged had been on the ribs and arms. Sans tensed when the build up of magic turned wrong, feeling simultaniously calm blue and erratic red. He steps close and readies his own magic, more then willing to teleport his brother away if the magic turned volatile. He would not risk Papyrus for an unknown copy.

"I'm......sorry.....it seems......I am unable to pay that way. Do you.....accept other forms of payment?" Runix asks suddenly shy, a deep blush coloring most of his skull as he twiddled his phalanges. Runix would surely dust if they accepted this offer of payment and he'd probably have to disassociate something fierce to avoid panicking mid-payment but he was sure he could do it.

Papyrus looked confused at the suddenly shy skeleton, but continued the healing, making doubly sure he hadnt missed an injury. "DONT BE SILLY, NEW FRIEND! NO ONE PAYS FOR HEALING. MOST MONSTERS CAN DO IT, AND NO ONE GETS REALLY HURT ENOUGH FOR MORE THEN A QUICK HEALING OF A SCRAP OR BRUISE. BESIDES, AS A FUTURE MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD, IT IS MY DUTY TO HELP! NYEH!" Sans sighed, looking fondly at his brother, letting his magic go. They would come back to whatever that was later. "Yeah, Bud. Just take it easy and Paps will have you back on your feet in no time. Where you from, anyway?"

"F-from a place called Occulttale." Runix stuttered out, shocked into being still by this Papyrus' declaration of free healing. He had to forcibly remind himself that this wasn't the labs, and that being wouldn't appear around the corner to use him ever again. "I-I'm the only one left, at least as far as I know. Never got past the barrier." Runix mumbled the last part, afraid of what the other two skeletons would do once they figured out why he said that. He's sure that this Sans is the judge for the underground by the flash of yellow when the other had his magic active whenever Runix would try to use his. No doubt this Sans is berry protective of his Papyrus judging by his reaction to his lv.

Papyrus looked puzzled at the small skeleton, tried to read into the words spoken. He was a very straight forward skeleton. "WELL OF COURSE WE HAVE NEVER GOTTEN PAST THE BARRIER. OUR KING HAD YET TO COLLECT THE NEEDED PEICES TO DO SO! I HAVE NEVER OF OCCULTTALE, IS THAT A NEW BIOME IN THE UNDERGROUND?" Papyrus bobbed excitedly, finished with healing and jumping up to clap exitedly. He did so love to explore new places! Sans stiffened at the mention of dead, knowing there was only so many ways someone could get 16LV in a world that, may or may not, be hostile in nature. After killing the majority of the UNderground, the Kid only ever made it to 19 when meeting him. "Probably not Paps. Seems like he's a little lost. New to the whole Underground thing. It probably be best to give him a show around. " Sans deflected his brother from trying to find and explore Occulttale, instead directing him into caring for the wayward skeleton. HIs gaze on his smaller double spoke of a more private conversation once Papyrus was gone.

Runix shrank into himself as other Sans gave him a look that spoke of bad times ahead. "Y-yeah a tour sounds good." He agreed, afraid of angering this different version of his son. His bones felt a bit stiff despite the intensive healing he got from other Papyrus but it wasn't anything he could fix once his magic got back under control. While his own healing is pretty good he couldn't even use his magic earlier. So with nothing to distract him whilst other Papyrus got ready his thoughts went to his own universe, spiraling into darker ones the more he thought about it. 'Failure' 'murderer' 'shouldn't be alive'  
Rung through his head as without his notice his hands same up to clutch at his skull, clenching hard enough to start to dig into the bone.

Papyrus had eagerly gotten up, heading back to the kitchen to finish his chores. He couldn't leave a dirty home to go have fun. This left Sans to watch his double, not saying anything as the skeleton started to spiral. Most monsters with that high of an LV usually didn't feel regret or sorrow. Not to this level. "Hey.." Sans spoke quietly, not wanting to pull Papyrus attention. "I'm letting you go along with my brother, only on the good faith that maybe you didn't want all that LV. You prove me wrong..." His magic flared a sickly yellow/blue. "Your gonna have a bad time."

Runix barely registered Sans' threat, lost in the flashbacks of everyone he knew and loved turning slowly into dust. His phalanges gripped harder, cracks appearing on his skull causing marrow to slowly trickle out. Unbeknownst to himself, Runix had started shaking his bones clacking against one another as his fit kept on. "Failure. Murderer. Should've died. Possessed puppet. Demon child. Resets. Permanent damage." He started to mumble, only those words being able to be heard as the rest was an unintelligible mess, tears streaming down his face. They mixed with the marrow into a purple as they flowed down into the scarred bone below.

Sans jeered back as the small skeleton started hurting himself. It had to be some sort of anxiety attack. He didn't really know how to deal with these kinds of things. Luckily, Papyrus was still here. "OH NO!" The tall skeleton quickly ran over, done his chores in the kitchen, gently grasping the clenched hands and healing the cracks. "YOU MUSTN'T DO THAT FRIEND, YOU MUST REST!" Sans watched his brother comfort the other version of him, mulling over the words. It was obvious he had just come from a genocide run.

"S-sorry" Runix mumbled as he slowly came back to himself, realizing what he had almost done. It would probably anger the two skeletons for him to dust right in their living room especially after other Papyrus wasted healing magic on him. Glancing at other Sans, Runix gave him a look that said he'd explain who he was and where he came from later when the two Sans' had some privacy. Runix was sure if he started spouting about timelines and resets this Sans would get mad and while he had died plenty on his own au he didn't want to be killed by what appeared to be classic Sans. Runix tried to calm as he prepared to let Papyrus lead him through he Underground.

Papyrus hummed softly, rubbing a hand over the skull as if to smooth the cracks out. "IT IS FINE FRIEND! PERHAPS A TOUR CAN WAIT THOUGH. YOU OBVIOUSLY NEED MORE TIME TO SETTLE FROM OUR INJURIES." Papyrus popped up, striking a heroic pose. "AS THE BEST OF FRIENDS, IT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE TO PUSH YOU IN YOUR CONDITION. WORRY NOT! THEY GREAT PAPYRUS CAN SPEND TIME WITH YOU, AFTER WORK!" Sans couldn't stop himself from smiling, basking in Papyrus' bubbly personality. "That's right bro, gotta watch out for those humans right? " This launched Papyrus into his usual speech about capturing a human in order to join the royal guard.

Runix listened in a daze as this Papyrus continued on, the speech eerily familiar to his own Papyrus' with a few differences. Runix almost dozed off completely when he found himself alone with other Sans. Other Papyrus must have left for his sentry duty rounds and if he is anything like his Papyrus was then he would be busy all 'day'. "So, I'm supposed to tell you all about me then huh? Welp I suppose I have no cheese but to answer your quest'ions." Runix commented to the other Sans as Papyrus' magical signature disappeared from his senses. Tails and ears flicking in worry he began to mentally prepare himself for 'ant'errigstion.

Sans watched his brother run from the house towards his puzzles, having said that he would be at his post once settling their new guest. He looked at his alternate, hands stuffed in his pockets. The puns were typical of a Sans, the weird fluffy appendages only slightly a throw off. "That would probably be best. Let's start with that LV of yours. Despite that little episode of yours, I'm not entirely convinced I can trust you with this world." Sans had decided this conversation was a bit more important that keeping up his deflecting puns.

"I never wanted it" Runix began, tails twitching in nervousness and ears pulled back. "The thing that went through and killed everyone.....I thought I had found a way to defeat it" Runix paused, the smaller skeleton tense as he recalled what got him that much lv to begin with. "So I absorbed their soul and reset the world. It worked.....a little too well." He muttered the last part, tails and ears dropping in sadness. "They.....it....took over my body and used me like a puppet, killing everyone I knew and loved over and over again" Runix tells Sans, eye lights extinguished as the memories flashed in his head. "I managed to get back control but it was too late. No matter how many times I.....erm.....reset everyone stayed dead" Runix finished, mumbling the word suicide as if trying to hide how he managed a reset.

Sans listened with a growing sense of horror. "You tried to control that demon?? Are you insane?" Of all the times the world had ran, reset, been killed and saved, Sans-serif never touched that bright cherry red soul. Just distilled amounts of determination was dreimental to monsters, let alone an entire soul made of it. "How are you not insane now? How did you even survive?" The scientist in him itched for an explanation.

"Well, it was the only thing I could think of other than using lots of dt/potent magic mixtures." Runix supplied, tails and ears flat in shame. "I....don't know how I survived" he admitted, staring down at his rib cage where the dual colored glow emitted from. Maybe this other Sans could figure it out. With a small nod to the other Sans, a soft ping rang out in the silent room as Runix summoned his dual colored soul. The blue monster soul enveloping the red human soul floated right in front of Sans as Runix prepared himself for pain. "It might've been the......experiments the former royal-wizard" Runix mumbled deep in thought as his dual colored soul hovered. His tails and ears no longer flattened and merely swaying/twitching lightly.

Sans waited patiently for an explination, one of his many strong suits, when the room was suddenly flooded with blue, purple, red. The conjoined souls were meshed yet apart, the Red Soul looking like a tumor leeching off the blue monster soul. Mentions of experiments made him tense, unsure of how much correlated between worlds. It was best not to mention HIM. "This is..." Sans wasnt one to be lost for words very often, but never had he seen souls behave like this. He instinctively reached out to touch and examine it but refrained at the last moment. Touching a soul out of combat was extremely intimite. "Is it painful? Im assuming the demon still has full conciousness?"

"No, it isn't. I kinda erased its consciousness in my fight to take control back from them." Runix explained, the dual colored soul hovering in his grasp. Seeing Sans reach out to flinch back he realized touching ones soul must be more intimate here than back home. Then again the only one to touch his was that thing and its experiments on him and the injections of pieces of murdered children's souls. With a deep breath knowing other Sans wouldn't dare harm an alternate version of himself soul, he held the soul out as if offering it to the other. "Go ahead. I doubt you'll do more damage than that thing did to me growing up" Runix offered as explanation as his soul was bared to the other Sans.

Sans was a little leery of inspecting the conjoined souls, especially since the other had essentially erradicated the conciousness of the red soul. I was basically just pure, unhindered, determination now. He carefully took the soul by one of the blue bits, a familiar sensation of blue magic on his phalanges. Carefully, he pobes the connection between the souls. By the purple mesh between them, it was more then likely they could not be parted without significant damage to one another. "I have never seen this before... Soul do not usually fuse, only connect. A human and monster soul should easily part ways.."

Runix stifled a soft gasping moan as Sans probed the connection between he two parts of his soul. Managing to calm down a bit, Runix turns to Sans. "I don't know why it's still attached to mine. I've.......tried several methods of.....triggering a reset but no success I'm still alone under the mountain." Runix mumbles, tail swaying slowly as he subconscious rubbed at his self-inflicted scars on his arms.

Sans flushed a soft blue, trying to ignore the sounds the his double had made. Souls were very intimite, and sensitive. "Determination is an unpredicatable substance... This could be something from the Demon's end. A last ditch effort.." It would mean that the Kid deliberately kept the timeline from resetting, only loading the last time loop over...and over.. Sighing softly he let the soul go, ignoring the nervous tick on stars. Everyone had their demons, Sans wouldnt judge him for that. "Well, Until we figure out how you ended up here there isnt much we can really do. Probably best you dont go wandering here, LV isnt really accepted. I suppose you know who I and my brother are so, what should we call you?"

"Y-you can call me Runix, from what I scoured of 'its' papers it was supposed to be my actual name had the barrier not existed separating me from my mother." Runix softly spoke as he returned his soul to his rib cage the soft dual colored glow lighting up the room slightly. His ears and tails were back to twitching slightly as he nodded to staying mostly at the house. He didn't want to see others much anyway, not being used to be around many others since he'd been alone for quite a while in his au. "One of my theories is that since I've not been able to truly die I can't perform a true reset which is probably what is needed to do. Maybe that I'm not there the au reset and everyone's living on without me. They're better off that way anyhow." Runix continues, silently cursing himself for glancing at he other Sans' form. Was it narsesistic to feel like he'd found his true mate in the other the way his soul had stated to feel warm and fuzzy as he kept stealing glances at the other and fidgeting with his phalanges.

Sans nodded, rubbing the back of his skull. He had noticed the subtle glances and wasnt sure how to take it. No one really noticed him over his excitable, out going brother, as well as his tendancy towards lazy habits. "Well, despite the circumstances, its nice to meet you Runix. I'm not entirely sure how this time line is going to go since this hasnt happened before. Maybe the Kid wont even show up." Sans gave a lazy shrug, glad he didnt have to fight the other about going outside for long periods of time. At least they looked different enough that they can't be mistaken for each other. "I wouldn't say they are better off either, I'm pretty sure its radically different. Just for me, if I didnt exist, then Paps probably wouldnt either since I practically raised him when HE left.."

"You mean, your Papyrus isn't your son?" Runix whispered shocked sounding even as he seemed to curl more into himself. His mind going back to what his Gaster had done, all the fallen children and miscarriages he had suffered through. Managing to focus on the now instead of the then by gripping his arm hard enough to pierce the bone, he glanced at Sans trying to gauge his reaction and wait for his reply. No doubt the other skeleton would find him disgusting now and want his dust to have as a trophy. His limbs tense as he waited for the inevitable hatred to hit him, self-loathing thoughts filling his head.

Sans eye sockets went wide, surprised. The AU's were different, sometimes very different, form his own. So far though, there had been constants. Sans and Papyrus being the last skeletons and brothers was one of them. This was entirely unexpected, thought not that odd. There was an AU he breifly saw in Alphys' lab that they were Mates. Being Father and Son wasn't that odd. "Uh, no, We're Brothers here. Our.. parents were lost in the Human/Monster war. I raised Papyrus from a baby bones so, technically I guess I could be his dad but I was only a baby bones myself at the time really..." He trailed off, confusion trickling in. Sans wasnt entirely sure why Runix was freaking out right now, watching the marrow dribble from the peirced arm bone. "Are you alright..?" Sans wasnt the best at comforting people, that was definately Papyrus' specialty.

"No Sans I wasn't his dad." Was all Runix said before falling silent, having to use all his focus not to lose himself in memories of Gaster and what happened previous to his own Papyrus' birth and during the first few years of Papyrus' childhood. His ears has flattened fully, tails tense and fluffed up as he unconsciously dug his phalanges deeper into his arm. Marrow dripped faster and magic sparked around him as his mental distress started to increase as he started losing the battle with his memories.

Sans didnt really react to the correction. Gender didnt really play a part in procreation for Skeletons. He could easily father a souling in another as carry one himself. Seeing the reaction from Runix, Sans could tell he was remembering the dark events of his Papyrus' life, and probable Death, which would have been very tramatic to a Mother. Awkwardly, he reaches forward and gently takes the phalanges out of Runix's arm, looking at the gashes in the bone. He didnt really have the same healing ability as Papyrus, but he tried to at least stop the bleeding. "You, uh... You cant really afford to lose marrow, Bud. Don't want all that healing magic Papyrus used going to waste, right?"

Startling out of his memories at Sans' touch, Runix' face heated in a blush as his soul pulses happily after in his sternum. "I'm still a guy but.....back then it was whatever he wanted.....by choice or by force..." Runix started, drifting off at the end as Sans' words finally reached him. Oh. Yeah wasting the other Papyrus' magic wouldn't be good huh? His ears and tails were slightly less tense but they were still fluffed out, this time in mild shyness at the closeness of the other skeleton. He was sure Sans had felt his souls reaction and was sure that because he just met that he'd be rejected right off the bat. Monsters in his au often found their destined mates at first meeting, the souls knowing instantly who their other half was after a short bit of time.

Sans focused on healing the wound, unused to using green magic and struggling a bit. Papyrus was definately better then him at this. The gouges were no longer bleeding at least. His inattention caused him to miss the happy pulse but his own soul reacted by warming in affection. It was pretty clear that, despite the high LV, Runix wasn't a bad monster. Just a victim of bad circumstances. Sans couldn't judge him for that. Mates were rare in Undertale with the low population and birth rate, combined with basically raising him and Papyrus, and Sans was unsure just what to do with the strange actions of his soul. Feelings were more complicated then astro-physics. He flushed a bit blue and moved back, slumping into the couch next to Runix. "That's aweful. You wont have to worry about that here. You can be whatever, or whoever, you wanna be. Welcome to Undertale."

Runix' eye lights burst into stars at this, face lighting up in a deep blush that went purple around the red marks around his eye sockets. His ears stood at attention and tails quivered happily at Sans' acceptance of him, soul pulsing happily at the thought of finally finding its match. Runix, feeling overwhelmed by his souls reaction and own emotions could only sit there in elation as the other skeleton flushed his own shade of blue and saw that the marks flowed along with his eye lights as Runix' magic flowed softly in happiness. "R-really? I don't have to go back alone anymore?" He managed after a moment, for once a true smile on his face from a lifetime of strained ones.

Sans' expression softened at just how happy the smaller skeleton had become. The sense of freedom and companionship could do wonders. Something the Demon never learned. "Well,I suppose. So far the time line hasnt started to crumble from something foreign being introduced so we're probably fine for now. Should keep an eye socket on it just in case though." His own cheeks were a pale blue, a bit confused on why his own soul had settled at the flush of happiness. He hardly even knew this odd skeleton, there was no reason to feel so familiar with runix. Was there?

Runix collapsed back onto the couch in elation, tails swaying happily accidentally brushing against Sans with their silky fur. "So, um, why is my soul doing this......thing" cutting himself off before he announced the true feelings of his soul knowing the other skeleton would surely reject him due to how long they had actually known each other despite their souls pulsing lights. His dual colored soul acted as if he had known the other skeleton for years, welcoming his presence wholly.

Sans looked curiously at the tails, wondering just what kinf of world led to that kind of difference. he curiously ran his phalanges over the soft fur, wondering if his alternate liked to be pet like the Dog Squad did. The thought brought a small smile to his teeth. "I'm not sure. Alphys is better at Souls then me, she'd probably know more about what melded souls might do." Sans intentionally misinterptreded the question, not quite ready to examine his own content soul. Never did he accept, maybe not entirely trust yet, someone so new. Maybe this wassome kind of resonance for technically being the same monster?

"You know it isn't that" Runix muttered as if he knew what Sans had just been thinking. "That kinda thing doesn't work that way." Runix cut himself off from explaining how he had been studying the other aus to find out how to bring back his child and friends. His tails and ears dropped in sadness at the thought of his lost loved ones and this half-way rejection soul having been hopeful for something new. He knew to trust his soul after everything he'd been through, first with that thing, the resetting demon and then with the being possessed by said demon.  
He sighed internally, gathering his magic and summoning his 'inventory' of sorts. It was a leather bound book with seven slots for souls six already occupied. Opening the book to a seemingly random spot Runix literally slipped his hand inside the book and pulled out a bag of G. "Here" he mumbles handing the bag to Sans. He then flips to another page covered in a different set of symbols and pulls out a flask, taking s huge gulp from it. As he paged flutter Sans can see lots of them either covered in strange glowing text or symbols sometimes both.

Sans shrunk down into his coat, feeling guilty and not really knowing why. He had no idea what this familiarity was, had never been taught about intimite relations, and only know what he picked up by random conversation snippets. He couldnt understand the strange feeling, and did what he did best when confronted with difficult feelings. Ignore it and joke. "I actually don't know. Guess I never got that memo. What you give me this for? Paps already said no payment nessacary.." Sans looked at the odd book, wondering if it worked like a cell phone, casually dropping the bag of G between them and refusing to pick it back up. The flask also made him curious, wondering what was inside that Runix randomly decided to drink.

"Well, from my au and the few I've managed to watch souls recognize their mate within the first few meetings of two monsters. Use it to pay that tab of yours with your Grillby. I'm sure your Papyrus would enjoy that." I never got to pay mine went unsaid as Runix took another huge gulp of his homemade alcoholic ketchup, anything else not affecting him due to his lv and sheer amount of magic. Blush coloring his face from the drink, he motions to his book. "This is a sort of inventory or grimoir of sorts. It holds all my stuff and also holds all of my knowledge, memories and spells. While I can no longer use bone attacks or blasters my magic can work like a typical rpg mage or sorcerer. Other than that due to my heritage I can theoretically change my form and use foxfire and illusion magic." Runix explained, a slight slur to his speech as his tails and ears flicked absentmindedly.

Sans listened curiously to the sudden dump of information. So, besides the weird magic and fuzzy appendages,Runix was just himself plus a few things. He tilted his head at the slight slur, frowning a little bit. The bag of G remained untouched between them. "Nah, I'll pay back Grillbs when I can. We have an understanding. Didn't know my company was so bad you needed to drink already.." Sans would be a hypocrite if he said he'd never drank to run away, but usually he lasted until the object of his ire was long gone and the situation resolved. It was very obvious that Runix hadnt interacted with anyone for a long time, habits were hard to break.

Runix leveled him with a look that said 'you know it's not that', eye lights hazy around the edges from his 'drink'. "Not that.....keep having flashbacks....don't want to have an episode today." Runix explained with a slight flourish, tails curling around his form as if holding himself. It wouldn't due for him to lose it mid explanation about something especially if it dealt with 'him'. "You mean 'it' was your uncle as well? Is your paps yer kid too?" Runix asked before he could stop himself, silently cursing at himself for the little slip. Internally glad he stopped before he opened up about what exactly his Gaster had done all those years ago, the drink and his soul pushing him to tell Sans the truth on everything.

Sans watched Runix, before using his magic to cling to the bottle and yank it up. "I think thats enough. I get the idea that this isnt really helping like you want it too.. I'll be the first to admit that drowning it away is the easiest idea but.. I dont really think you want to stew on it here." With me was left unsaid. They werent friends, hardly aquiantences, and that kind of inner demon was best left alone. "I already said Paps and I are brothers so I think you've gone a little past 'tipsy' and into 'brooding'. "

"Hmmm.....I guess I could stop skulking around" Runix admitted, motioning that Sans could just drop the bottle in the book before taking out a capsule and swallowing it, the haze of his eye lights returning to normal all signs of being inebriated gone from his smaller frame. Blushing darkly at himself, Runix muttered apologies as he summoned a tiny flame in his hand flicking it between his phalanges. "I'm sorry I put you through that I should've kept my mouth shut." Cutting off any darker thoughts forcibly as he tried keep positive. He wasn't alone anymore that was a start at least.

Sans looked at the fidgetting skeleton, then sighed. He really wasnt equipt to deal with the kind of mental case this skeleton was. He could hardly deal with himself, let alone another broken person. He dropped the bottle into the book, watching curiously as it disappeared between the pages, before slumping back. "There is no need to apologize. I'm not used to having to be the more stable person in the room. Paps would be a lot better at this.." Sans hunkered into his hoodie, wondering if he could hide away into the fabric. he wasnt usually this awkward but it had been a long time since something off script had happened.

Runix yearned to comfort the other skeleton, unsure if it would be appreciated or not. Deciding fuck it, he pulled the other into his lap and held him softly. He wrapped his tails around the larger skeleton as if to hug him and let the magic of his book show Sans the types of spells he could use. The tiny holograms coming off the page to preview the spells and what they did. While most were elemental there were lots of runes and symbols that could do various things. Soon he got lost in explaining how his magic worked differently from Sans' own.

Sans tensed as he was suddenly grabbed, easily lifted into the lap by his curled up position. No one, and Sans meant literally no one, besides Papyrus did this for him. His brother had stopped as of late as well, in the stage of trying to get him to be more proactive. Perpetually trying to get him to work, and clean, and move the sock in the living room. The same script over and over. It had been a long time since anyone had hugged him. His stiff posture was slow to relax, hyper aware of the soft fur around him, eye sockets trying to focus on the magic of the book. He didn't dare move, equal part paranoid that the skeleton would hurt him, and hopeful that the hug would last just a bit longer.

Wrapping his arms around Sans' middle, Runix rested his chin on the larger skeleton. Letting the magic of the book illustrate his words like a movie, he told the other of his own universe and how magic worked there. "Once a long time ago there was the Mythomagi. They were beings of potent magic and determination who lived long before humans and monsters. One day they decided that they were lonely so they created the monsters from their magic and the various parts of the earth. The two lived in harmony for many years. One day came beings later known as humans and the three had a rather good start. One day some of the humans took up a banor of cleansing the earth of Monsters and Mythomagi. A Great War ensued and the monsters were sealed in the mountain range of a large island. In order to protect themselves some of the humans on their side and the Mythomagi sealed the island from ill intent and worked from the outside to break the barrier."

Sans watched with curiousity, the little magic constructs showing the difference between these mythomagi and monsters. The reason for the Animal additions on Runix was much less odd now, thought curious. How does one manifest just ears and tails? "Oh, that actually explains quite alot. Like the book, and the magic, and why our worlds turned out so different. We have no one working to bring down the barrier here... except us. There isnt a lot to look forward to.." Sans had seen the surface before, each time was a stab into his soul. A countdown for the next time he awoke back inside his bedroom, starting the script anew.

"Well I used to be able to use bone attacks but after some kind of experiment with 'him' I lost the ability. It's only recently I've even discovered the fox fire and other abilities gained from my mixed parentage." Runix explains, snuggling into Sans' neck as he gets more comfortable his soft fur on his tails almost like a blanket. "Well that and our king and queen didn't separate after of Frisk and Asriel left the barrier and hadn't returned yet. She went to the ruins to help two monster children and keep lookout for her own from the ruins." Runix added, glancing at Sans with a soft smile at the larger skeleton.

Sans couldnt help but relax into the cuddle. The soft warmth over him like a blanket and the body beneath him lulled him into a safe state, feeling proteected. Usually only Papyrus could get this effect but his unsual Soul responses told him that Runix was just as trustworthy. Just as safe. It made Sans a little unease but not enough to leave the cocoon of warmth. "So, your Frisk left wihtout breaking the barrier. Thats happened a lot. More then any other outcome." Sans coudnt remember every reset, that would require having a eidetic memory, but He knew in his Soul which paths happened regularily.

"Yeah. Frisk and Adriel had came up with a plan involving yellow flowers so Frisk would die. Then Azzy would absorb their soul and get through the barrier to try and break it from the other side. We never heard back from them but Asgore and Toriel would have felt if Asriel died so it has been assumed they've been working on the barrier." Runix explained, softly starting to purr as Sans relaxed further into his embrace. It felt good to be able to hold someone yet also be held by them after so long. His soul pulsed happily as it had been yearning for companionship for many years since the underground became depressingly empty. "The first resets for us happened with the fall of the eighth child thing, not sure it was even a child tibia honest. Granted it reset a whole lot. Apparently enough to count for 1,000 years for me because once the incident happened and I was alone my first tail and ears regrew with the addition of my second tail." Runix continued on as he purred softly into Sans' neck content for once in a very long time.

Sans listened quietly, starting to nod off. He rarely relaxed enough to sleep, and sleep more then a few minutes, when he heard about the age thing. He perked up a bit, soul relaxed in finding a kindred friend. The burden of being the only one who remembered had taken a tollhe wasnt entirely sure had been worth it. "1000 years..? I dont know how many for me. Some just felt like a dream. Others just snippets of sameness. I wouldnt be able to tell myself.." It was almost a blessing, not knowing. It must be hard for Runix to know 1,000 years of his life had been wasted to the whims of a demon.

Runix started to nod off himself the more Sans relaxed into him, his fluffy tails puffing out to act like a soft blanket. "Heh the only reason I've been able to tell is that kitsune gain a tail for every thousand years of life. I didn't even know if I had even gained that from what his papers said of who my mother was until I gained tail number two." Runix told the other skeleton cuddled into his lap. Runix was secretly glad Sans didn't remember all of them while also glad he remembered some of his resets. It felt nice not being the only one to remember such things although he tended to remember hem vividly. Those countless years had weighed down on him and many times he had felt on the edge of falling down. With these new developments and being in another au he was sure that it wouldn't come to that ever again as long as he had Sans around.

Sans hummed softly, eyes closing and snuggling into the warm. He was asleep in moments, softly snoring while clinging to the soft strands. His soul was soothed, recognising the connection even if his concious mind didnt. He fell deep into a dreamless sleep, undisturbed by his usual nightmares and worries. His magic was calm and soothed, not restless like the other times he tried to sleep. Not even Papyrus could get him to relax this much, to become dead to the world.

Runix purred softly as Sans' phalanges gripped the soft fur on his tails, grinning contently as the other drifted off to sleep his magic feeling calm and steady. Nuzzling further into the side of Sans' skull Runix drifted off himself into a peaceful sleep the first time ever not having any nightmares or terrors. He used to just stay awake until he eventually passed out. Their souls beating in synch accepting the bond of a true mate subconsciously even if the two skeletons didn't acknowledge it consciously. It had been so long since he could feel such happiness and joy that he had almost forgotten what it felt like. Not even his worst nightmares could ruin this moment for him. Unbeknownst to either skeleton the silhouettes of six children each a different color nodded to each other mission complete for getting their friend to his true mate before nodding. Their images faded as they went to the next world happy that their friend would be happy and cared for from now on.  
Papyrus couldnt help but feel concerned for their surprise guest. The skeleton had been so very injured, and their magic eerily familiar. He trusted his brother to keep the new monster out of trouble until he fully healed. Work was a complete distraction for him, only causing him to accidentally set off some of his puzzles and scurry around with even more frantic energy then normal. The Dog Squad let him go early, Papyrus eagerly going home to check on their guest. Walking in he had expected Sans to be lazing about, perhaps letting their guest roam the house unsupervised, but was pleasently surprised to find the pair asleep on the couch. His brother looked so... content. It was rare to see the lines smoothed from bone and the tiny body completely relaxed. They looked good together, their edges meeting in such a way to make a better whole. "Nyeh.." Perhaps, just this one time, Papyrus could let Sans sleep the day away.

**Author's Note:**

> Notes:  
> A requested LustxDance is next in the series


End file.
